Since 1996, the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses (PSAB) has been working to create strengthened strategic partnerships between Aboriginal business owners, industry sectors and the Government of Canada. Through the PSAB, Aboriginal businesses benefit economic development in Canada while further cultivating their skills and values. Learn more about the benefits of the PSAB and what it can do for you by watching this video.

Transcript: What PSAB Can Do For You

This is Sarah, an Aboriginal Business owner who has no experience with PSAB. We will follow her through her entire registration process, from beginning to end, so that you'll know what to expect when you begin your own registration.

We begin with the Aboriginal Business Directory Homepage. To register, simply click the "Register/Update" button located here. Once you've registered your business, you will be able to login here using your Industry Canada username and password.

To register the business for the first time, click the "Create an Industry Canada account" link. The first thing you need to do is enter your email address here. Then click "Next."

Now you will have to choose a Username and password. Choose a password that has a capital letter and a number in it to make sure it is secure. Then type in the password one more time.

Be sure to write down your Username and Password somewhere safe, so you can remember them later on.

Next, you will need to choose a secret question in case you forget your password. Then write the answer to your secret question. And type it in one more time.

After that, fill in your personal details.

Next you will need to select one or more Registration Options. Your options are: Basic Profile. Procurement Profile. And Promotional Profile.

For maximum exposure to the procurement community, we recommend selecting all options. The next page is the Canadian Company Capabilities Page. First you will start with your company's legal name. You can enter it here.

Next you will need to enter your company's operating name. If it is the same as the legal name you can check this box here. If your company's operating name is different than your company's legal name, you can fill it in here.

Afterwards, you will need to fill in your company's mailing address.

In this section, you will need to enter your company's actual location address. If your company's location address is the same as its mailing address, you can simply click this box.

If it is different, you can fill in the necessary information in the boxes provided.

If at any point you have questions about the application, you can contact PSAB at our website or call our toll-free number 1-800-400-7677.

Does your company export to other countries? If it does, you can select yes in this box. If not, select no.

Here we have the Company Description. Write a brief summary of your company and the goods or services it provides. When you are finished, click continue.

This next step is very important. You are the data provider for your company. You will be the contact who is responsible for keeping your company's information current and active. The data provider does not have to be the owner of the company, but he or she must be delegated by the owner.

Start by entering Mr, Ms, or Mrs, followed by your:

First name

Last name

Job Title

Administrative Email

Telephone

Fax, if applicable

And finally, your language of correspondence

When you are finished, click continue.

The next step is very simple. It is your company's first contact and has already been pre-filled with all your information. If you wish to add anything like other job titles or areas of responsibility, you may do so here. When you are finished, click continue.

If at anytime you would like to go back to a previous page to check information or make a correction, you may simply click the back button.

Step 4 asks you if you would like to add any additional contacts. We seriously recommend adding more contacts to your company since there can be turn-over within a company, and it can also be difficult to reach people at times. When you are finished, click continue.

For step 5 you need to describe your product or service. First you must choose whether you are offering a product, service or licence. Next you need to write the name of it. And finally, you need to write the description. When you are finished, click continue.

For step 6, you may add additional products, services or licenses. Some examples of licenses may include include certifications such as ISO 9001 or a vehicle license.

In the next section, you may declare whether your company is Aboriginal or not based on the PSAB criteria. If you have met all the criteria, wish to declare business as Aboriginal and want to sign up for PSAB, click yes. Next, confirm that your business has at least 51% Aboriginal ownership by clicking yes or no. And finally, click the employment category that best applies to your company.

If your business has fewer than 6 employees, click the first option. If your business has 6 or more employees and at least 33% are Aboriginal persons, then click the second option. And finally, click neither if neither of these situations aaplies to your company.

Please note that AANDC has the right to audit any business before or after a contract is awarded or randomly.

The next section is designed to give AANDC demographic data on businesses. Start by typing in the owner's name. Then select the percent of ownership they have over the company. Next, select whether the owner is Aboriginal or not. Afterwards, you may fill in the information regarding the owner's:

Heritage

Reserve

First Nation

And gender

When you are finished, click save. Afterwards, you may add other owners if applicable.

In the next section, you will need to add some information about your business. First, select what type of business it is. Second, select the number of employees your company has. Afterwards, there are three numbers that are not mandatory, but that may help your company when competing for Government contracts.

The Procurement Business Number (PBN) helps procurement officers find a business. And buyers utilize Standing offer and supplier arrangement numbers for easy access to goods and services. If you have these numbers you may enter them now. If not, move down to the next section.

Please enter the number and value of federal government contracts your business has been awarded.

In the next section, you need to select what kind of products and services you are offering. Read carefully through the selections. When you find the product or service closest to what your company offers, check the appropriate box. In the next section, you will describe what kind of opportunities you would like to apply for.

If your business has subsidiaries or can offer services across Canada, this section is valuable to complete. First, declare whether you want to be considered for opportunities near the city in which the business is located. Next, declare whether you want to be considered for opportunities across the province or territory in which the business is located. And finally, declare whether you want to be considered for opportunities across the country.